XI: Streets on Fire
Xena When we reached the surface, it was worse than we expected. The Zoni had already started attacking the LF. Paris, once considered the most beautiful city on Earth, was now a battlefield. I could barely watch. An explosion went off near us, and we all ducked for cover. “We have to get out of here now!” Drake yelled. “Roger that. Where’s our car?” I replied. I heard Marc gasp. When I turned to look at him, I saw what was left of our car. It was nothing but metal scraps that were lit ablaze. “So much for that plan,” Amber sighed. “Guys, we got company,” Drake muttered. We were quickly surrounded by Zoni troopers. They must’ve known that we would be infiltrating their base. They predicted our every move. “Avatar Xena, and friends, you are all under arrest,” one Zoni trooper said. “On what charge? You can’t arrest us! You’re not the official police!” Marc protested. The Zoni trooper laughed. “Boy, in this part of the world, we are the police, and soon, we’ll be the government as well. Now come with us, or do we have to take you in by force?” I scanned the troopers. Luckily, only their squad leader had a gun: a laser pistol. The others just had various melee weapons. There were ten of them, and only four of us. We would have to be smart. “Alright, round em up boys. Looks like these nice people want to do this the hard way,” the squad leader teased. They started to close in on us. That was when I made my first move. I took out my pocket knife, and I threw it straight into the left eye of one of the soldiers. He collapsed in agony. The others immediately started attacking me, but Drake and Marc helped to fend them off. Unfortunately, there were just too many of them, and the Stone brothers were getting overwhelmed. Amber went to save the two from the beating they were getting, and I went after the squad leader. He was drawing out his pistol, but I kicked it out of his hand before he had the chance to use it. Then, I tackled him to the ground, but he immediately pushed me off. I recovered quickly, and I tried to stomp on him, but he kicked my legs, making me lose my balance. Then, he pinned me to the ground, and he tried to put me in a choke hold. I was losing the struggle. Without my Avatar powers, I was a much worse fighter. Go figure. He started choking me, and I couldn’t get out of it. I almost passed out, but then, a large rock flew into his head, and he keeled over. Drake had thrown it at him, and the other nine troopers were defeated. We had won, but just barely. “Thanks Drake. I owe you one,” I said gratefully. He smiled at me. “Don’t mention it.” “Everybody okay?” Amber asked “Ugh, I don’t think so. One of those guys got my shoulder. It hurts pretty badly,” Marc said, clutching his right shoulder. Amber raised his sleeve to examine his shoulder. “That spot is very swollen. Try not to move your shoulder too much. I don’t think going to the hospital is an option right now.” “Our best option is to regroup with Dimitri and the others. If we find him, then maybe we can figure out a way to win,” I said. “Xena, I hate to break it to you, but Dimitri and the others are probably dead by now. What we should do is find a warp gate. We have to go back to the United States,” Drake suggested. “Drake I can’t believe you. We can’t just abandon all of our friends,” I said strongly. Drake sighed. “Xena, look at the odds here. We are outnumbered ten to one, and it’s probably even worse now. The Zoni knew exactly what we were planning. It’s too dangerous to stay here. At least in America, we’ll have a fighting chance. We can find another rebel group there to help us. I hate to say it, but the LF, they’re finished. I’m sorry.” Amber put her hand on my shoulder. “Xena, I agree with Drake. We have to find a way out of the city.” Marc nodded in agreement. I shook my head. “I don’t like it, but fine. We are better off escaping.” I hated having to leave my friends behind. It felt like I was making the same mistake that I did ten years ago. I didn’t want that to happen again, but it was happening again, and I had no control over it. Traversing the city was very difficult. Every few blocks, we would have to fight off another squad of Zoni troopers. Amber and I could fight pretty easily, but Marc and Drake were struggling. I guess they weren’t used to battle like we were. The most depressing part about the battle was seeing the city so damaged. Buildings were on fire, roads had giant craters in them, and even the Eiffel Tower took significant damage. Whoever the Zoni were, they were clearly ruthless. Eventually, we made it back to where we were when we first warped into the city. “Alright guys, we’re here. Does anyone know how to operate this?” Drake asked. Amber stepped up. “I do. I’ve worked with warp gates before. I’ll set the coordinates to Washington D.C.” “What? Why aren’t we going back to NYC?” Marc asked nervously. “Because, D.C. is the capital of the United States. I’m sure that’s where the Zoni will attack next, dumbass,” Amber said. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk to Marc like that Amber,” Drake growled. “And I would appreciate it if he thought before speaking. Maybe you should teach him more about the world Drake,” Amber said coldly. Drake’s face became very red. He got up in Amber’s face. “I’m about sick of you. All you’ve been is condescending and rude. Marc doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. He can’t read your mind, so he doesn’t know how to speak to you. Gain some goddamn decency!” “What are you going to do about it?” Amber challenged. Drake looked like he was ready to tear Amber’s head off, but I couldn’t let that happen. That last thing we needed now was division. “Both of you, quit it! We have more important issues to focus on,” I intervened. They stared each other down for a minute, but then Amber went back to working on the warp gate. Drake sighed “Xena, I’m sorry,” he said. I walked up to him, and I put my hand on his shoulder gently. “Drake, it’s okay. I’m sure I would’ve reacted the same way someone talked to my brother like that.” He smiled warmly, and he held my hand on his shoulder. It was nice to see Drake ease up whenever I was near him. Normally, he look so serious, and sometimes, brooding. But whenever he was with me, he seemed more carefree. “Guys, I think you’ll want to see this,” Marc announced. Amber, Drake, and I walked over to him. Marc’s communicator was automatically transmitting a signal to us. The screen was static, but it started to conjure a face. It was a bald, middle-aged man with tattoos. He looked fit though. “Ah, you four must be the elite soldiers that thought they were outsmarting us. It is a pleasure to meet with you all, face to face,” he said. His voice sounded dry and melancholy. “Who are you, and what have you done with Dimitri?” Amber demanded. “Oh, that one. He’s been, disposed of,” he said without remorse. I slammed my fist into the ground. Dimitri was a great friend, and a true ally, and we lost him just like that. “Damn you,” I growled. “Now now, no need to be so aggressive. He had it coming anyway. Anyway, my name is Mizo. I am the man in charge of the Zoni,” he said. “So, you’re him. I expected someone more intimidating,” Drake hissed. “You should never judge someone by appearance, my boy. Now, I have an offer for you four, and I know you all will want to hear it,” Mizo said. “Alright then. Spill it,” I commanded. “The others and I know you were working with the Liberation Front. That means that we have to kill you. Luckily, there is a way out. Swear your allegiance to the Zoni, and we will spare your lives,” he said in a chilling tone. I clenched my teeth. “We’ll never join you Mizo. You can take your offer, and shove it up your ass.” He smiled at me. “Well, if it isn’t Xena Modom, our Avatar without her powers. I was hoping you would handle this situation with a bit more, intelligence.” I was shocked. “How did you know that my powers were gone?” “I have my ways, and since you have rejected our offer, you will be eradicated as soon as possible. Enjoy your final breaths on this Earth,” he said. After that, the communication device shut off. I crossed my arms. “Okay, so the LF is definitely destroyed, and now, we’ve all been targeted by the Zoni. Things could be worse, right?” “They could be, but I don’t want to think about that,” Marc said sadly, still gripping his injured shoulder. Amber finished setting the coordinates in the warp gate. The colorful swirls returned. “Well guys, it’s all set. It’s time to go now,” she said. Drake turned around, and he gazed at the burning Paris. “This city may be lost, but this isn’t happening back home. I won’t let it,” he said quietly. Then, we all walked through the portal together. Next time on 13th Redux... Category:Chapters